Featured Articles:
-Installing Fieldbus in Real-Life Applications
-Right Message, Right Person, Right Time
-Using MODBUS for Process Control and Automation
-The Ups and Downs of Taking the Bus; and more

Resources & Literature:
-Ethernet Shoulders e-Communications
-Fieldbus Foundation Publishes H1 Cable Test Specification
-ODVA publishes CIP network specifications; and more

Application Stories:
-StatoilHydro Plant is HART Plant of the Year
-Persian Gulf Company Uses HART to Improve Salt Water Conversion
-Genentech Uses HART Technology at New Facility

Featured Training:
-Fieldbus Educational Seminar
-Emerson publishes 2008 educational course catalog
-Ethernet Direct announces Tutorial Site; and more

Product Announcements:
-Moore introduces TFZ Fieldbus Temperature Transmitter
-TURCK releases connectors for DeviceNet
-TURCK introduces 2RFID Module for BL ident RFID system
-Emerson adds Foundation fieldbus to Brooks instruments; and more

Company News:
-Emerson sells Brooks Instrument
-WirelessHART Communication Supported by Leading Process Automation Companies
-IXXAT to develop Safety Stack Software for SERCOS
-SERCOS/IP Protocol Specification Released; and more

Application News:
-Emerson to install PlantWeb and Ovation at Southwest Power Station in MO
-Metso to supply fieldbus to mining company in Finland
-Emerson to automate energy recovery plant for Syctom in France; and more

Featured Events:
-13th Annual National Ethanol Conference
-Middle East Refining Conference & Annual Meeting
-Fieldbus Foundation General Assembly; and more

Installing Fieldbus in Real-Life Applications
January 2008
Many automation engineers are coming face-to-face with real fieldbus applications for the first time. Fieldbus is a wonderful technology with many benefits, but fieldbus installation requires some additional considerations over and above normal 4-20mA projects. This in-depth white paper discusses some of those issues, and shows you how to deal with them.

Right Message, Right Person, Right Time
Control, January 2008
By John Rezabek, contributing Editor Digital integration of field devices—whether through proprietary protocols, HART or fieldbus—can provide an opportunity for significant business results, but only if key players know where to find the data and what to do with the information.

Using MODBUS for Process Control and Automation
MODBUS is the most popular industrial protocol being used today, for good reasons. It is simple, inexpensive, universal and easy to use. Even though MODBUS has been around for nearly 30 years, almost all major industrial instrumentation and automation equipment vendors continue to support it in new products. This white paper discusses how MODBUS works and a few clever ways it can be used in new and legacy plants..

The Ups and Downs of Taking the Bus
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, December 2007
By Gary Forrest, PhD, Wyeth Research
In this two-part series, Wyeth's Gary Forrest discusses the challenges and benefits of implementing fieldbus technologies at a new bioprocess development facility. Choosing between Profibus or Foundation fieldbus was a big issue.

Fieldbus developments improve process control system operations
Hydrocarbon Processing, November 2007
By Harry Wilson, MooreHawke
Now that fieldbus is used in virtually all new refineries, oil and gas companies are looking beyond the older, established products and their problems to more modern fieldbus hardware solutions that promise to make installations even more reliable, productive, and efficient. This article discusses the advantages and problems with new developments in fieldbus.

Browse more articles and white papers on the portal.

Ethernet Shoulders e-Communications
Automation World, December 2007
by C. Kenna Amos
Brief explanation of the seven layers or levels of the International Organization for Standardization’s Open System Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model—application, presentation, session, transport, network, datalink and physical.

Fieldbus Foundation Publishes H1 Cable Test Specification
The H1 Cable Test Specification (Document FF-844) is for manufacturers developing cables for FOUNDATION fieldbus H1 (31.25 kbit/s) installations. The specification test cases, based upon the IEC 61158-2:2003 standard, include impedance, capacitive unbalance, connector pin-outs, and attenuation.

ODVA publishes CIP network specifications
Specs include updates for EtherNet/IP, DeviceNet, CompoNet, and ControlNet.

Fieldbus Foundation Releases Fieldbus Podcast
The podcast describes how FOUNDATION fieldbus unifies open scalable integration, process integrity, and business intelligence as part of a single, plant-wide managed infrastructure.

MooreHawke publishes brochure on TRUNKSAFE Fault-Tolerant Fieldbus System
The TRUNKSAFE brochure explains how it is not necessary to duplicate an entire fieldbus segment, duplicate the field instruments, nor have any special software at the DCS to achieve fieldbus redundancy.

Browse more resources and literature on the portal.

StatoilHydro Plant is HART Plant of the Year
Control, January 2008
Orman Lange Natural Gas Facility in Norway Leverages HART Technology for Remote Valve Monitoring and Maintenance.

Persian Gulf Company Uses HART to Improve Salt Water Conversion
By HART Communication Foundation
Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) used HART technology in a major re-instrumentation project as the catalyst for improving asset management. They Installed more than 2,000 HART-enabled devices.

Genentech Uses HART Technology at New Facility
By HART Foundation
Biotechnology manufacturer Genentech is integrating HART Communication with the distributed control system (DCS) in its CCP2 facility in Vacaville, California, to manage critical device configurations that have a direct impact on plant efficiency and product quality.

Browse more application stories on the portal.

Fieldbus Educational Seminar
April 10, 2008 Houston, TX
One-day seminar covers the entire infrastructure with demonstrations on: Open Scaleable Integration, Process Integrity and Business Intelligence. Local end user speakers will be present in the afternoon talking about their experiences with the technology.

Fieldbus Educational Seminar
May 8, 2008 Cherry Hill, NJ
One-day seminar covers the entire infrastructure with demonstrations on: Open Scaleable Integration, Process Integrity and Business Intelligence. Local end user speakers will be present in the afternoon talking about their experiences with the technology.

Emerson publishes 2008 educational course catalog
Global Course Catalog, available in print, CD or as a download, describes over 300 courses.

Ethernet Direct announces Tutorial Site
Video tutorial and training site offers a comprehensive technical Reference Library of information specifically oriented to Industrial Ethernet.

PROFIBUS Installation Guideline for Cabling and Assembly
PI (PROFIBUS & PROFINET International) has published a new Web Based Training package to provide support for assembly and installation staff working on the assembly of PROFIBUS systems. The Web Based Training tells you everything you need to know about assembly in an easy to understand and interactive format. Topics include how to lay and assemble PROFIBUS cables correctly and what you need to be aware of when connecting PROFIBUS stations. It takes approximately 2.5 hours to complete the Web Based Training course.

Browse more training and seminar opportunities on portal.

• Phoenix Contact expands Inline Modular coupler family
• Carlo Gavazzi introduces DuplineSafe Safety Bus Monitoring System
• Softing adds PROFINET IO stacks for Siemens ERTEC
• Pepperl+Fuchs introduces R2 fieldbus Segment Protectors
• Automated Solutions adds Modbus/TCP to ASComm.NET Communications Component
• UEI announces DNR-12-1G Ethernet I/O Chassis
• AMIS introduces ASSP CAN Transceiver Family
• Pepperl+Fuchs releases DeviceNet Gateways
• Technosoft releases IBL240 minidrive with CANopen
• Weed updates EOTec communication modules for ControlNet
• SOFTING releases FG-100 FF Asset gateway
• Woodhead modules connect ControlLogix to Modbus

Browse more Product Announcements on the portal.

Search all Products by keyword, category, manufacturer or release date.

Emerson sells Brooks Instrument
Emerson sold its Brooks Instrument unit on December 31, 2007, to American Industrial Partners Capital Fund for $100 million in cash.

WirelessHART Communication Supported by Leading Process Automation Companies
By HART Communications Foundation
In a display of unified commitment to the new technology, representatives from ABB, Emerson, Endress+Hauser, and Siemens spoke of the positive impact WirelessHART technology will have on the process industry and their expectation for the quick adoption of the technology by end users.

IXXAT to develop Safety Stack Software for SERCOS
IXXAT will develop a portable stack software for the CIP Safety on SERCOS safety protocol. The stack software can be used for SERCOS master as well as SERCOS slaves.

SERCOS/IP Protocol Specification Released
The protocol allows standard Ethernet IP communication with a SERCOS III network both during cyclic real-time network operation and during non-real time operation.

Cooper makes tender Offer for MTL Instruments Group
Cooper Controls made a binding offer for all outstanding shares of MTL Instruments Group plc, a publicly traded company based in the United Kingdom.

EtherCAT accepted as IEC Standard
EtherCAT is now an International Standard communication technology for SERCOS and CANopen drive profiles

StatoilHydro Ormen Lange selected as 2007 HART Plant of the Year
The award is given annually to recognize the people, companies and plant sites around the globe that are using the advanced capabilities of HART Communication in real-time applications to improve operations, lower costs and increase availability.

Browse more company and organizational news on the portal.

Emerson to install PlantWeb and Ovation at Southwest Power Station in MO
The new plant will make extensive use of digital bus-based technologies, with Emerson’s Ovation system incorporating 57 FOUNDATION fieldbus segments (representing 1,368 I/O) and 31 Profibus-DP segments (representing 1,890 I/O) to network intelligent field instrumentation.

Metso to supply fieldbus to mining company in Finland
Talvivaara Mining Company is constructing Europe’s largest nickel mine at Talvivaara in the Sotkamo region of Finland.

Emerson to automate energy recovery plant for Syctom in France
Emerson will install PlantWeb with Foundation fieldbus for the project that will recycle refuse from 1.1 million Paris residents, converting the waste into energy.

P+F supplies fieldbus to Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Complex
Pepperl+Fuchs will provide its fully redundant FieldConnex Power Hub system with Advanced Diagnostic Module (ADM).

Midland-ACS uses HART protocols for heat exchange systems control
Process and Control Today, July 2007
By John Houston, Editor
UK manufacturer Midland-ACS has developed a HART-based control system capable of operating in the harsh environment of gas turbine heat recovery systems destined for the Al Shaheen oil field in Qatar.

13th Annual National Ethanol Conference
February 25- 27, 2008 Orlando, Florida
Opportunity for industry interaction, networking and education on public policy and marketing issues affecting the U.S. ethanol industry.

Middle East Refining Conference & Annual Meeting
February 25-26, 2008 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Speakers will address strategic expansion plans, ongoing policy developments to upgrade, integrate, modernize and expand refining facilities, enabling them to remain competitive whereas at the same time meeting international standards, especially when it comes to carbon emissions and climate change.

Fieldbus Foundation General Assembly
February 27-29. 2008 Antwerp, Belgium
Includes overview of current Fieldbus Foundation developments across the globe, and end user presentations focused on process integrity, open scalable integration, business intelligence, asset management, factory site acceptance testing, commissioning and trouble shooting.

International Biomass 08 Conference & Trade Show
April 15- 17, 2008 Minneapolis, Minnesota
The first International Biomass Conference & Trade Show aims to facilitate the advancement of near-term and commercial-scale manufacturing of biomass-based power, fuels, and chemicals.

24th Annual International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo
June 16-19, 2008 Nashville, Tennessee

Rick Zabel
Vice President, Publisher
Automation.com

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